BATON ROUGE – At the E. J. Ourso College of Business, the faculty teaches not only principles
and theory, but also philanthropy. Professor Courtney Szocs charged the LSU Marketing 3411: Consumer Analysis and Behavior class with developing
a campaign to collect food items for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. The winning team was awarded a bonus to their final grade. Marketing 3411: Consumer
Analysis and Behavior teaches the dynamics of consumer markets, their significance
to marketing executives, identification and measurement of market segments and analysis
of their behavioral patterns as a basis for marketing strategy.

Groups of five to six students were asked to design and execute a donation campaign
utilizing one of Robert Cialdini's "Weapons of Influence." The students were instructed to read the book, identify a target market from which
to solicit nonperishable food donations, create a profile of the target market and
develop two campaigns to solicit donations from this target group. After each team
developed two primary ideas, the groups selected the stronger of the two proposed
drives and executed it. The students submitted the food they collected, will turn
in written reports and give presentations on the execution of the campaign as well
as what they learned.

The winning team of Terrance Cage, Amanda Callia, Logan Jean, Savannah Landry and
Madeline Landry collected 846 food items. The group partnered with Uncle Johnny's
Restaurant in Plaquemine, LA. They designed a campaign around Cialdini's principle
of reciprocity and offered diners a five percent discount of their meal if they donated
nonperishable food items. The team communicated the promotion on social media, through
fliers at businesses surrounding the restaurant, a poster at the restaurant and word-of-mouth.

In total, the class collected 2,838 pounds of food which is equivalent to 2,365 meals.

"I'm so proud of the students,” said Courtney Szocs, Piccadilly, Inc. Business Partnership
Professor and assistant professor of marketing. “They worked hard designing and executing
their donation campaigns. It was great to see them get excited about the project.
I'm impressed with the outcome."

“The Food Bank truly appreciates the continued support of the amazing LSU community,
especially with this food drive by the College of Business,” said Mike Manning, president
and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. “It is exciting to see college students
strive to make a true impact in the fight against hunger.”

About the Department of Marketing

The Department of Marketing at LSU’s E. J. Ourso College of Business prepares its
students for careers in sales/management, advertising, buying, product development,
retailing and market research. Our mission is to enhance and advance the reputation
for excellence of the department, the college, and the University through high quality,
transformative, research programs; by using innovative, challenging and effective
learning techniques; with significant engagement in the forms of leadership in regional,
national, and global discipline organizations, consulting, speaking engagements, and
participation in programs and conferences; and by contributing to the competitiveness
of the State of Louisiana. For more information, visit the Department of Marketing website or 225-578-8684.

About the E. J. Ourso College of Business

Since its establishment in 1928, the E. J. Ourso College of Business has continuously
improved and expanded its offerings for students and alumni. Additionally, the college
has made it a priority to provide its faculty with the resources it needs to further
research in every aspect of the business world and to produce industry leaders for
a global work environment. For more news and information visit the E. J. Ourso College
website.

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